Playing-ball.



No. 714,917. Patantad Dec. 2,1902.

Y E. vKEMF'SHALL.

PLAYING BALL.

Application ma oct. 11, 1902.5

(No Hedel.)

il am f w rnelyW/W UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PLAYING-BALL.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 714,917, dated December 2, 1902.

Application filed October 1l, 1902. Serial No. 126,870. (No model.)

To all whom, t 11m/,y concern:

Be it known that I, ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, manufacturer,a citizen of the United States of America, residing at 4l I-Iigh street, in the city of Boston, in the county of Su'olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Playing-Balls, of which the following is aspeciication.

The present invention has for its object to intensify the resiliency of the ball when given a hard blow without materially impairing the solidity that the ball possesses when struck lightly and on alighting.

According to this invention I provide the ball with a pneumatic centerpiece composed of india-rubber or other suitable material.

Upon this center piece I may wind the highlytensioued elastic material prior to applying the external casing or cover. In some cases in order to prevent said pneumatic center piece from being displaced from the true center of the ball by any want of symmetry in the winding I may, after said winding has proceeded to a cert-ain extent, inclose it in a hard, but more or less resilient, shell-for instance, of Celluloid-and continue the winding around the exterior thereof. If desired, two or more of such shells may be employed.

In order that the 'said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I will now proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a section of the pneumatic ball with its windings of highly-tensioned material havingr embedded therein the aforesaid shells or cups of celluloid. Fig. 2 is a separate view of the center piece, and Fig. 3 shows the inner part of the ball in a partially-wound condition.

A is the external cover of the casing containing tlie elasticmaterial a a. D is the hollow full-size center piece upon which said material is wound, andA c the aforesaid shell that is embedded in the winding d. The elastic material consists in this instance of a strip or strips a, Fig. 3, of rubber. It may, however, in some cases comprise elastic threads. The strips or threads a are wound spherically under extreme tension around the hollou7 core or center B, whereby the said core or center becomes reduced in diameter, and the air or other iiuid it contains becomes considerably compressed. The contracted size or partial collapse of the soft-rubber shell D, due to the tension of the rubber windings thereon, is iudicated at D', Fig. l, and it Will be seen that the hollow D" is reduced in capacity as compared with the hollow of the original shell D, Fig. 2. It will be understood that the aggregate pressure to which the rubber shell is subjected by the multitude of tense rubber,

windings thereon is very great and that the shell consequently collapses until the pressure of the air, supplemented by the inherent resistance of the shell itself, balances the contractile tendency or pressure of the rubber strips, thus producing a ball Which iiies a phenomenal distance when given a moderately-heavy blow. It will be understood that the soft-rubber shell is depressible-that is, it can be indented.

The spherical shell c is constructed in halves or other sections, which when drawn together by the outer portion of the winding inclose and compress theinner portion of the winding. When the outer portion of the winding has attained the diameter desired, the halves or hemispheres of the external casing or cover A are applied thereto and the Whole is given the usual treatment, whereby the casing or cover is caused to adhere rmly to the surface of the winding and the meeting edges of its halves or hemispheres are welded together.

It will be noticed that the hollow center piece c is provided with a hole C, through which it can, if desired, be inflated, said hole a neck extending from said hole, and after the inflation of the centerpiece has been effected the neck may be closed by ytying a stout cord around it, or a chemical substance that will generate a gas when mixed" with liquid may be placed into the center piece through its opening, and after the introduc tion of the liquid said hole may be sealed by vulcanization or otherwise, so as to hermetically inclose the contents.`

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. In a playing-ball the combination of a IOO 9O ple, the said center piece may be formed with l hollow spherical center piece of soft elastic material filled with a gaseous uid, a winding of highly-tensioned rubber exterior to said center piece, and acover comprising cups of a plastic material exterior to said winding, substantially as described.

2. In a playing-ball the combination of a pneumatic center piece, a winding thereon of elastic material under tension, a concentric spherical shell of stift springy material embedded in said winding, and an extern al cover, substantially as described.

3. In a playing-ball the combination of a pneumatic center piece, a winding thereon of elastic material under tension, a plurality of concentric spherical shells of stiff springy material embedded in said winding, and an external cover, substantially as described.

4. In a playing-ball lthe combination of a hollow spherical center piece inflated with air, a plurality of concentric windings of highly-tensioned rubber exterior to said center piece, a pair of hemispherical celluloid cups interposed between each winding and the next, and an external cover comprising cups of gutta-percha, substantiallyas described.

5. In a playing-ball the combination of a hollow sphere of rubber constituting the center piece and iniiated with air, a plurality of spherical windings of highly-tensioned rubber exterior to said central sphere and concentric therewith, a pair of hemispherical celluloid cups interposed between each winding and the next, and an external cover comprising cups of guita-percha, substantially as described.

6. A playing-ball comprising a spherical rubber shell in a state of collapse, tense windings of binding material thereon, and a shell of plastic material.

7. A uplaying ball comprising a vrubber sphere having a cavity and in a state of collapse, tense windings of rubber strip, and a cover of gutta-perc'ha.

8. A playing ball comprising a rubber sphere having a cavity and in a state of collapse, tense windings of rubber strip, a thin shell of celluloid, and a cover of gutta-percha.

9. A playing-ball comprising a depressible sphere of elastic material; tense windings thereon of extensible elastic material; said sphere being in a collapsed condition by reason ofthe contractile tendency of said windings; and a cover.

l0. A playing-ball comprising a depressible sphere of soft rubber; tense windings thereon of extensible elastic bands, said sphere being in a collapsed condition by reason of the coutractile tendency of said windings; and a cover.

11. A playing-ball comprising a depressible sphere of soft rubber; tense windings thereon of rubber bands, said sphere being in a col lapsed condition by reason of the contractile tendency of said windings; and a cover.

l2. A playing ball comprising a hollow sphere of soft rubber; tense windings thereon 1 of extensible elastic material, said sphere being in a condition of partial collapse by reason of the contractile tendency of said windings, and containing elastic liuid under pres sure; and a cover.

13. A playing-ball comprising a hollow sphere of soft rubber; tense windings thereon of rubber bands, said sphere being in a condition of partial collapse by reason ot' the contractile tendency yof said windings, and containing air under pressure; and a cover of hard plastic material.

14. A playing-ball comprising a hollow sphere of soft rubber; tense windings thereon of rubber bands, said sphere'beingin a condition of partial Vcollapse by reason of the contractile tendency of said windings, and containing air under pressure; and a cover of gutta-percha holding said windings under pressure.

1'5. A playing-ball comprising a depressible sphere of elastic material; tense windings thereon of extensible elastic material, said sphere being in a collapsed condition by reason of the contractile tendency of said windings; a thin shell of stiff springy material embedded in said windings; and a cover.

16. Aplaying-ball comprising adepressible sphere of soft rubber; tense windings thereon of extensible elastic bands, said sphere being in a collapsed condition by reason of'the contractile tendency of said windings; a thin shell of celluloid embedded in said windings; and a cover.

17. A playing ball comprising a hollow sphere of soft rubber; tense windings thereon of rubber bands, said sphere beingin a condition of partial collapse by reason of the contractile tendency of said windings, and containing air under pressure; a thin shell of stiftl springy material embedded in said windings; and a cover of hard plastic material.

18. A playing ball comprising a center piece having an air-cavity, tense windings thereon of highly-extensible elasticniaterial, said center piece being partially collapsed and the air therein being put under pressure by reason of the contractile tendency of said windings; and a cover.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 29th day of September, 1902.

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL.

Witnesses:

T. SELBY WARDLE, WALTER J. SKERTEN.

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